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How to mount a bracket to an asbestos sheet eave?

Hi, I recently purchesed a couple of Eufy security cameras which will be monted under the eaves of our house. The mounting brackets come with the usual screws & plugs for walls, but I'm not convinced they will work properly with the thinner asbestos sheets that are the underside of the eaves. What would be the best fixing method for this situation? Many thanks.

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MitchellMc

Hi @Smithrj,

If these are confirmed to be asbestos cement eaves, and not modern fibre cement, the first and most important point is that they must not be disturbed at all. That means no drilling, no screwing, no fixing, and no penetrating the sheet in any way. Even small holes can release fibres. From a safety and compliance perspective, fixing directly into asbestos sheeting is simply not an option.

Because of that, you will need to look at an alternative mounting method that avoids the sheet entirely. One common workaround is to mount a small bracket or batten to a non-asbestos surface nearby, such as the wall or fascia board, then fix a small metal or timber plate to that bracket and attach the camera to the plate. The key idea is that the asbestos sheet remains completely untouched.

It is also worth clearing up the supplied fixings. The screws and plugs that come with camera brackets are typically intended for masonry walls. They are not designed for thin sheet materials, and even if asbestos was not involved, they would not be appropriate for eave sheeting anyway.

If the sheets turn out not to be asbestos, and are instead modern fibre cement or another non-hazardous thin sheet, then a spring toggle designed specifically for thin sheets would normally be the correct fixing method. That said, given the age of many homes with asbestos eaves, it is always safest to assume asbestos unless you have clear confirmation otherwise.

I really cannot stress enough that asbestos sheets should not be drilled or fixed into due to the health risks involved. Check out this Asbestos awareness website for more information.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

AlanM52

Hi @Smithrj,

With regard to @MitchellMc's comment 'modern fiber cement or another non-hazardous thin sheet'.

This one.jpg

That is what you need and... I have workshop questions on hold because I can't remember what they are called, where I got them from and I only have four left. Anyway... I now have the info and intending to post that as a 'question' that relates to 'that' because I use them all the time and that's why I only have four left. I suspect it's likely you can't use them and will need to follow @MitchellMc's suggestions and I would mount on the wall rather than the eave because the camera will be more protected from the weather. For brickwork use the supplied wall plugs set into the mortar gap.

Cheers

Smithrj

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/61032#Comment_61032

Hi @AlanM52,

Thanks for your message. I have a couple of these also, which an electrician left behind after a job. Like you, I have no idea what they're called, but they are very handy. Anyway, I can't use them for this application as I can't access the other side of the sheet. So, taking into account MitchellMc's coments about asbestos I've decided to fix the camera to the brick wall beneath the eave, which will work fine.

Smithrj

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/61011#Comment_61011

Hi Mitchell,

Thanks for your reply to my message. I take your point about asbestos - I'm assuming the eaves are asbestos based on comments from other tradies and the construction year of the house (1972). It's possible the eaves are fibre-cement, but I've ended up mounting the camera to the brick wall below the eave just to be safe.

Regards,

Rod.

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/93004#Comment_93004

Great work @Smithrj; always better to be safe than sorry.

Mitchell

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